Jul 26 Our Destination Wedding - Part ONE

The Idea

Six years ago, I had the immense fortune of being able to afford to stay at one of the world’s luxury boutique hotels. Samode Palace in Rajasthan is a time travellers dream come true. Set at the foot of the Aravali Hills, this palatial heritage hotel elegantly boasts Mughal and Rajasthani art and architecture; with its marble floors, ornamented pillars and decorative arches, you could easily be mistaken for thinking you were on the set of a Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie.

At the time, I was 22 years old, and definitely did not have marriage on my mind, yet I could see myself getting married here. I was envisioning the outfit and jewels I would wear, the classical music and dance that could be held in the Durbar Hall, and the countless photo opportunities for me to enact my fantasy as a former Rajput Queen. I wasted no time in flagging the Management down to enquire about this heritage monument as a potential venue for my wedding. That fantasy of mine was short- lived when Vivek Yagnik (General Manager of Samode Palace) started talking numbers. I mean, the entrance on an elephant, accompanied by shehnai players and local Rajasthani folk singers was enticing for sure, but for the figure Vivek was presenting me, ‘it’s best put towards a mortgage’, I thought. The death of my grand, historical Rajasthani themed wedding gave birth to a new vision. I decided in that moment that I still did want a destination wedding, but where I actually tied the knot with my husband was far from the royal themed wedding I imagined at Samode Palace.

Fast forward six years later, and I get a glimpse of the ocean view gazebo, which is erected on a pristine white sandy beach stretching over seven miles and overlooks the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. I am wearing a simple white chiffon dress that I purchased online; wearing the Swarovski earrings my sister wore on her wedding (something old and something borrowed) and I have a crystal hair piece from Claire’s accessories in my hair (something new). It is mid-April and the heat of the Caribbean sun is melting my makeup, but I soon forget about that as soon as I hear the familiar sounds of Bob Marley’s, 'Is this love’ being performed by the live Mento band. That’s it. That’s my cue. I start walking, and with my heart racing at lightening speed and the butterflies dancing in my stomach, I make my way towards the Gazebo where my soon to be husband (and my something blue) is waiting for me.

Part 2 of 3 explains the planning process of putting together my perfect dream wedding abroad.

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